


Normality is overrated anyway

by Lady_Flame96



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Exorcised Josh Washington, F/M, Fluff, Gender-neutral Reader, Half-Wendigo Josh Washington, Hospitals, I blame MatPat, Josh needs more love, M/M, Reader-Insert, Reference to Cannibalism, Wendigo Josh Washington, lots of headcanons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:42:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29353650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Flame96/pseuds/Lady_Flame96
Summary: When you learn that Josh is still trapped in the mines, where the wendigos are, you decide that you must find him.Will you be able to save Josh from his demons and go back to a somewhat normal life?
Relationships: Josh Washington/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	1. Bringing him home

**Author's Note:**

> HEEEEEYYYYYYYY! Welcome to this story! Josh needs so much love and I'm here to help this sad boy! He gets no happy ending while the others do?! That's unfair! The beginning will be a bit sad/emotional but there will be lots of fluff and cute moments! I promise!

It all still felt like a hazy dream.

Or maybe more like a weird nightmare followed by a hazy dream. 

  
  
  


It all started a little more than a year ago. But it still felt like it was only yesterday. 

A year of restless searching, a year of guilt, a year of Josh sobbing on your shoulder.

  
  


It was just a normal night of having fun and drinking, ~~(don't tell the cops ok?)~~ but was changed forever by a prank gone wrong.

Hannah and Beth were never seen again, but Josh still felt their voices, mocking him, making him feel even more guilty for not saving them.

A year earlier he had organised a prank. He wanted to make them the protagonists of a horror movie. ~~He left out the part where he pretended to kill his friends.~~ It sounded like an innocent enough prank, so you agreed to help him out.

Too bad someone else was taking part in his little game without his knowledge. 

  
  
  
  
  


You were livid with Mike. 

"What do you mean you left him in the mines?!"

"Y-You don't understand! Th-that thing came out of nowhere and it-"

"And you decided that it wasn't worth it to try and save Josh!"

Chris called your name softly, trying to make you calm down. "What could have Mike done against that monster?"

"I don't know! Try to distract it!"

"Think, he was waist deep into the water. I'm sure he would've tried to save Josh..." Chris had always been too soft.

Logically, you knew that they could've done nothing against a wendigo, but at the moment you didn't care. Even as the helicopters landed to check everyone for injuries. You didn't care. Even if you lose a foot to frostbite, you had to find him.

The paramedics and the police stopped you. ~~They had to physically tackle you.~~

They checked on everyone and collected their testimonies of the night’s events.

  
  
  
  


The Washingtons were devastated. First they lost the twins and now Josh too. They were almost hesitant to send a search party, not wanting to go through the same pain again, but you managed to convince them to try. 

They were afraid to hope. 

  
  
  
  


Good thing you had enough hope for everyone. 

  
  
  
  


You descended into the mines with the search team, worst case scenario already in mind. If he was alive, it would already be a success. 

  
  


Your heart was pounding in your chest, the people with the tranquilizers weren't easing your nerves.

  
  


A sound. 

  
  


A sound in the darkness. 

You signaled to the group to stay behind. 

The pale moonlight was illuminating the cave from an opening between the rocks.

"Josh?" You called tentatively, voice barely above a whisper. 

His head snapped in your direction.

Your heart beat faster.

He turned fully towards you. 

Your heart dropped into your stomach. 

One of his eyes was milky white, sharp teeth had broken out from the left side of his face. 

He was turning into one of them.

He hissed at you, like an angry cat. ~~In another circumstance it would've made you laugh.~~

"Josh. It's me." You spoke with a soft voice, slowly bringing your hands up. Why? To show that you weren't dangerous? As if you could be dangerous to _him_.

Josh was simply looking at you. He seemed... almost curious, as if he was trying to figure out who you were.

He hadn't attacked you yet, which was a relief compared to the other wendigos. 

"We're here to save you Josh." You tried to keep your voice steady. Emphasis on _trying_.

He moved closer to you and you had to suppress a shudder. 

He sniffed your hands, as if your scent could put all the puzzle pieces together. 

You touched his face with a trembling hand "W-we'll bring you home Josh." 

~~ If your hands hadn't been trembling so much, you could've swore Josh nuzzled one.  ~~

  
  
  


He moved forward suddenly, no... more like down.

Your body moved on its own to grab him. 

Realizing that was a dumb move, but you weren't really thinking. 

He wasn't attacking you, he was actually falling. 

While you distracted Josh the rest of the team managed to shoot him with a sedative. 

Which brings us to the second reason: it wasn't a great idea to catch him.

He had always been heavier than you, hence why your back had a close encounter with the ground below.

The borderline comical scene helped ease the tension as some of the people of the team laughed nervously. 

  
  


Josh was drooling on your shirt. You missed this too.

It was real.

  
  


Josh was with you.

  
  
  
  


You could bring him home.

  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  


It wouldn't be easy, you knew that, but getting Josh away from that mountain was an important first step. 

Josh always promised you a tour on his helicopter. (An advantage of being rich.)

You would've never guessed that your first helicopter flight would be toward a fancy hospital. (Again, the advantages of being rich.)

You caressed his hair lovingly. 

  
  


"I got you Josh."

  
  


And you had no intention of letting him go.

  
  
  
  
  



	2. The waiting game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh begins his stay at the hospital. You'll be there for him, even if you can't be with him just yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a roll! Don't expect a chapter every week, but I'm having fun with this one! Hope you are too!

You stayed at the hospital for as long you could and as much as you were allowed to.

The staff was kind enough ~~or paid well enough~~ that they let you use their internet to continue your classes.

Josh's parents came to visit any chance they could. They had signed contracts and had to work on the set of whatever movie needed their special effects. 

You could see the guilt in their eyes every time they had to leave.

  
  
  


The others knew. You informed them of everything that happened. 

Some of them never answered you back.

Chris came to visit often. The first time, he was out of breath (he probably ran all the way there) and had tears in his eyes.

"Is he-? Can we-?", words were failing him.

You could understand. 

You shook your head. "We can't see him. Not yet." You had already tried. You caught a glimpse of him. He had a straight jacket and a muzzle. He looked like someone straight out of "The Silence of the Lambs".

  
  


Chris became another regular of the ward. He wasn't there as often as you were, but he too became an acquaintance with the doctors and nurses. 

  
  
  


To your surprise, Sam came to visit as well.

It was always awkward between the two of you. You knew that Josh and Sam were close, and that maybe Sam had a crush on him. But Josh was with you, and you knew how loyal he was to you.

"Do you know what they're doing to him?" Sam asked one day, breaking the silence.

All eyes were on you. You weren't part of the family so the doctors couldn't tell you anything, but the Washingtons were kind enough to keep you updated on Josh.

You swallowed the sudden lump in your throat "I- They're giving him different meds... They also contacted some shamans to perform... an exorcism or something." Your hands were trembling, Chris noticed and grabbed them. The stress of the situation gripped your heart once more. Your friend hugged you as you cried your eyes out.

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


You felt better when there were other people around you. When you were alone you tried to keep your mind occupied. When you weren't studying, you prayed to whatever God or deity you could think of. When you ran out of names, you searched for more.

You didn't care who you had to pray to, you'd gladly sacrifice virgin's blood to Cthulhu or convert to whatever cult there was, if it meant having Josh back.

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


You didn't know exactly what happened, or how it happened. All you knew was that one day Josh was snarling and whining. And the next he was calling for help because he had no idea where he was.

You panicked when you saw the nurses rush to the room he was kept in. You asked what was happening, and if Josh was ok but they couldn't tell you anything. 

  
  


_~~ You weren't part of the family.  ~~ _

  
  
  


When Josh's parents arrived you were fighting hard against your tears. You couldn't have a breakdown now, you had to know how Josh was first. 

  
  


The doctor talked in a hushed tone, making your worries worsen.

They turned to you with teary eyes. 

Josh was conscious, and they had moved him to another room. 

  
  
  


Now, you could have your breakdown. 

  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


Josh could receive visits, albeit short ones. 

The hospital staff asked the Washingtons if you were allowed to visit Josh. To which his father responded with, "If they weren't allowed inside, I don't know who would be."

  
  
  
  


So here you were...just outside his room. Scared to go inside out of fear, or that you had been imagining the whole thing.

His parents were already inside and were talking with him, but you couldn't shake off your irrational fear.

"How are you feeling Josh?", his mother asked in a soft voice.

"Like I was run over by a monster truck." Oh Gods it's his voice! You missed it so much. 

It was real right? He was actually there, breathing and talking and-

"-there's someone else who wants to see you."

Apparently you had missed the entire conversation. 

"Who?" Josh sounded genuinely confused. (Did he think that no one would come to visit him?)

Josh's father patted you on the shoulder on his way out. You stepped inside.

  
  


Josh was laying in bed, connected to various machines and an IV.

"Hey." He said it so softly that you almost didn't hear it.

"Hey." You felt so awkward all of a sudden, that you were unable to form words.

  
  
  


Josh cleared his throat "Listen I-"

With a speed that surprised you both, you were at his side, hugging him as best as you could. He immediately hugged you back, but not as tightly as he used to. (Was he scared of hurting you?)

  
  


After you stayed like that for some time Josh spoke up again. "So, uhh.... thanks for saving my ass." He laughed, and scratched the back of his head... or tried to. Only now you realized that his hands were wrapped up in bandages.

You grabbed one. "What happened? Did they hurt you?"

He recoiled, as an uncharacteristic shyness overcame him. "No, it’s just- I have claws now... this way I can't hurt others... or myself."

It dawned on you, that the staff must have told him what happened, but... how much did they tell him? How did they phrase it? 

You took your time to look at his face, to see what changed. 

Sharp teeth were still protruding from his lips, but they had upgraded from scary to sexy. A scar ran from his mouth and over his left eye. Said eye was less milky, it looked more human but with less colour. 

He was still so handsome. 

He was still your Josh.

You needed to remind him."I love you Josh." You sounded determined. 

Josh blushed "Hey! I-I'm still recovering! You can't just drop the L bomb like that, and... I love you too." He mumbled.

"Wow, Mr. macho man said the L word?! Now I've seen it all!"

"Shut up!", he snorted.

  
  
  


You stayed with him as long as you were allowed to. Laughing and hugging him all the while.

  
  


(You never left the ward anyway.)

  
  


  
  
  
  


The first steps to have him back in your life were taken. 

It will be a long and bumpy road, but Josh knew that you would always be at his side.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my beta-reader Basurtoj15 for helping me with this!  
> Join me on my Tumblr! https://justmebeing--me.tumblr.com/


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